NevadaGives works to increase charitable donations

NevadaGives, a program that came to fruition in October 2004, was spearheaded by the Business Community Investment Council and the Nevada Community Foundation to encourage and strengthen philanthropy among Southern Nevadans.

The two groups began the program's Web site, www.nevadagives.org, because they found studies that showed Southern Nevada is lacking in charitable donations.

The Business Community Investment Council, created in 1998, is a nonprofit partnership of approximately 50 businesses in the valley that work to promote and enhance corporate philanthropy.

The Nevada Community Foundation, created in 1988 in partnership with a network of donors, provides financial assistance to charities and nonprofit organizations throughout the state as well as across the country.

Kristen Boucher, communications coordinator at HealthInsight, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization in Nevada, appreciates the opportunities NevadaGives provides for nonprofits.

HealthInsight works under contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to improve the health care systems in hospitals, assisted living facilities and home health agencies in Nevada and Utah.

"It's a great hub for nonprofits," Boucher said. "We've been partnering with them for a couple of years now and we've been keeping them up to date for about six months to a year now. It's a good tool that people should know about."

Gina Polovina, co-chair of NevadaGives and also one of the founding members of the Business Community Investment Council, noted that one of the group's initial concerns was that they wanted to make sure the Web site conveyed an air of professionalism.

"We didn't want something that was subpar," Polovina said. "It's an important subject and making it as easy to navigate as possible was a key concern. The site targets both individuals and companies and there are even step-by-step instructions for businesses that are trying to set up an ongoing giving plan."

Polovina said that without the support of both the Business Community Investment Council and the Nevada Community Foundation, the NevadaGives endeavor would not have been feasible.

"With the partnership of both the BCIC and the NCF, it enabled us to paint that broader brush stroke of helping both individuals and businesses," she said. "It is a valuable community resource and we hope they become aware of us."

For further information on the Community Investment Council, visit www.bciclv.org, and for additional information on the Nevada Community Foundation, visit www.nevadacf.org.